Charlie Rae Earp

In Loving Memory of Charlie Rae (2010 – December 21, 2025) Charlie was born sometime in March or early April of 2010, under a porch, to a cat who had kittens she couldn’t keep. I was almost 18, living on my own for the first time, and desperately wanted a kitten for my birthday. When I went to pick one, there were so many friendly, playful kittens but then there was Charlie. She was shy. She hid. The woman told me she was the runt and said I probably wouldn’t want that one. So of course, she was the one I chose. She had the most unique and beautiful looking tortoiseshell coat. Charlie was independent from the very beginning. She wasn’t really a lap cat. It took a long time to gain her trust, but once you had it, you had everything. I was her person. We were connected, she always wanted to be near me. When she was young, Charlie loved to test me. Counters were jumped on purely out of spite. Rules were challenged. She drove me absolutely crazy in the best way. My dad used to joke when I was younger that when I grew up, I’d have a daughter just like me. Charlie was the closest I’ll ever get to that. She was endlessly inquisitive and curious, always investigating, always sniffing, always needing to know what was going on. Especially if it was stinky. Shoes were a particular favorite, as were bags of potatoes, which absolutely had to be sniffed and rubbed on. She loved being up high, always finding the tallest spot she could manage so she could survey her kingdom from above. As she got older, she softened in her own way. She started coming for cuddles and couch caves. Her favorite place in the world was tucked under the blankets between my legs, or nestled into a pillow and blanket cave we made just for her on the couch. She loved sunspots and would follow them around the house whenever she could. In the winter, she parked herself next to the wood stove and happily melted herself there like it was her personal mission. She had her treasures, sparkly blue balls, her big blue mouse, her beloved mousies, and empty gum packets. She would proudly carry her finds around the house, crying out until you came to see what she had “caught.” Charlie was also the world’s best bathroom attendant. I never used the bathroom alone. In return for her dedicated service, she demanded "tappies on the ruggies". The bathroom rug was one of her many beloved places. She also deeply loved to hate her fat brother Milo also known as Fatty. Smacking him, biting him, and generally reminding him of his place brought her immense joy. It was a lifelong rivalry, and she took her role very seriously. Charlie and I spent almost 16 years together. Nearly half of my life and my entire adult life. She was there for my first little apartment, buying my first house, for the fire that burned that house down and surviving it. She was there when my now husband and I first started dating, through our marriage, and for the start of many of the biggest milestones of my life. She lived through more moves than I can even count. No matter where we landed, Charlie was home. Charlie passed away on December 21st, just a few months shy of her 16th birthday. She was stubborn, independent, funny, curious, weird, challenging, loyal, and deeply herself. She is missed more than words can say. Thank you for teaching me love and patience, for growing up with me, and for loving me in your own funny way. I love you more than I can ever put into words baby kitty. Until we meet again. ❤️ Rest In Peace Charlie Rae